Valgrim's assault topples one of the riders from his horse in one fell blow. The audience cheers.
The Arcane Auriga focus their fire on Badland's Revenge and take out one of the gnolls. The surviving gnoll and the dire badger charge them, running like mad, while the druid starts reading from a scroll.
Korush makes a magical gesture that shrinks Valgrim to normal size, while he and his remaining ally advance. Valgrim still gets an AoO, though. Assuming he survives, the other mounted fighter hits Valgrim for 16 points. The riderless horse tries to stay out of trouble.
And now you are up, all of you.
Vug flies to Q9 and throws a stink bomb at the druid.
, Fort DC 19 vs. nausea
Vulcan takes to the air dramatically lifting to a height of 30 ft, hands creating intricate patterens as a chant rises from him. Thrusting his hands downward, he completes the spell with a roar as the air above the remaining horesmen swirls with a sudden blizzard, brutal cold and massive hailstones pounding down on horse and rider alike.
Round One:
Feres follows after Vug and casts a spell to summon a spiritual scimitar of mystical force to attack the scroll-reading druid.
Valgrim tries to determine what spell was cast at him to dispel his enlarge person potion:
Bubba moves us behind Valgrim .
"Stop that!" Bubba casts a spell attempting to disable the dispeller.
Korush actually used a spell-like ability but it's equivalent to Reduce person.
Valgrim strikes true as the riders charge him, and the hailstones raining down drops the other rider, leaving Korush alone on a badly wounded horse. He resists Bubba's magic, but he's starting to look a little worried.
Vug and Feres pester the druid enough to make him lose his spell.
The elves take out the remaining gnoll, and while one of them battles the badger those that remain focus their fire on Vug. Two arrows whizz by but miss.
"Sorry about that but the remaining teams are down by now." Rennida shouts above the battle din.
The druid flings away his ruined scroll and roars as he transforms into a raptor and charges Feres, while the badger tears into the elf.
Korush turns invisible (using another spell-like ability on the defensive) and dismounts.
You are up again.
Round Two:
Confronted with the furious attack of the druid-turned-raptor, Feres slashes repeatedly with his newly augmented scimitar while his summoned spiritual scimitar of mystical force continues to attack as well.
Vug flies to M10 and pops the top off of an extract containing concentrated essence of protoplasm. The protoplasm rapidly forms itself into the shape of a satyr (in J8).
She shouts to him, "Hey goaty! Why don't you give those elves and the badger a taste of f-f-f-fear. But make sure you don't hit anyone in the audience or anyone wearing a green sash like me!"
The satyr does a little jig and says "Righty-o!".
XP 1,200
CN Medium fey
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +18
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural)
hp 44 (8d6+16)
Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +8
DR 5/cold iron
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee dagger +6 (1d4+2/19–20), horns +1 (1d6+1)
Ranged short bow +6 (1d6/×3)
Special Attacks pipes
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th)
At will—charm person (DC 15), dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 14), sleep (DC 15), suggestion (DC 17)
1/day—fear (DC 18), summon nature's ally III
STATISTICS
Str 14, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 19
Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 18
Feats Dodge, Mobility, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Finesse
Skills Bluff +15, Diplomacy +15, Disguise +9, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (nature) +10, Perception +18, Perform (wind instruments) +19, Stealth +17, Survival +7
Grasping the elegant rod at his hip Vulcan casts another spell, a scintillating aura of crackling electricity dancing along his body as he launches himself towards one of the archers, drawing his staff as his dive takes him right before her.
Round 2 action:
Hasted, Valgrim focuses his 3 attacks on both riders, starting with the wounded one and then moving to the other one.
Round 3 action:
Valgrim snorts as the last riders disappears and charges the druid, dealing him a solid blow. Feres has already dealt him a number of severe cuts, but he's still standing, although bleeding profusely.
The satyr pops up and plays a terrifying tune that sends the badger and one of the elves into a panic. The badger runs away cowering, while the elf surrenders and screams to the functionaries to get her out of there. The audience roars with laughter.
Vulcan lands practically on top of one of the remaining archers. Bubba keeps singing.
The elves concentrate their fire on Vulcan, and the one next to him draws her sword. He's hit by several arrows and a sword for 44 points of damage, while his opponent takes 25 points from the defensive shock.
The raptor-druid tries to take a bit out of Feres, but his hulking form is too clumsy and he only chews on armor.
Korush stays out of trouble for now.
Your turn.
Round Three:
Feres and his summoned spiritual scimitar attempt to knock the druid-raptor out of commission.
Bubba moves into the middle of the arena.
Bubba casts slow on the 3 elves.
Round 4 action Top of Round:
HP: 67/83
Spells in Effect:
AC: 29
Barkskin (80 minutes)
Bull's Strength on Valgrim (duration 8 minutes)
Enlarge Person (8 minutes) (may or may not be still on)
Freedom of Movement on Valgrim (duration 80 minutes)
Haste (5 rounds)
Lead Blades (6 minutes)
Resist Energy - Fire (60 minutes)
Shield (8 minutes)
Reeling in pain from the concerted attacks of the elves, Vulcan takes to the air flying 35ft straight up. As he does, he removes something from around his neck, throwing it down betwen the two bnearest elves.
[ooc]Necklace of fireballs. to all in 30ft radius (aimed for maximum # of targets)ooc]
Vug says to the satyr: "Goaty, why don't you suggest to one of those elves to attack Korush instead?"
Goaty says, "Don't mind if I do. Say, why don't you attack Korush instead?"
Vug tosses a force bomb at the druid (if he's still alive) or one of the bow-wielding elves (if he's not) -- avoiding her allies and the audience, of course.
, Ref DC 19 or be prone
Valgrim takes out the druid, and Vulcan's Fireball drops the elf nearest to him, singeing the other two. Then as Vug's force bomb strikes another elf, she drops to her knees and surrender, leaving Rennida alone and cornered (literally). There is nothing left for her to do but to surrender.
Behind you you hear a slow clap starting, as Korush springs into view. He, too, surrenders, and is working up an applause for you and your victory. This is quickly taken up by the crowd that cheers and roars in unmitigated pleasure. Only those who bet against you are sullen and feel cheated.
Your flashy tactics and highly entertaining panache has won the crowd over, and you get a hero point each as your reputation builds. The odds will have to be adjusted severely before the next battle.
As the adrenaline of the pitched battle wanes, Feres moves about the arena to check on the fallen, repeatedly offering brief prayers to the Healing Flame to stabilize those contestants knocked unconscious in the melee.
"Vulcan? How're you doing? It looked like those elves gave you quite a beating," Feres calls to the barely-standing sorcerer.
Vug flutters down next to Korush as the satyr evaporates into a puddle of goo. "Thanks f-for not making us f-f-fight you to the death, sir. You f-fought well. And I hope you won't hold it against me if I suggested that the elves should f-focus f-f-fire on you."
Vulcan descends slowly, landing as he removes the last of the three arrows stuck in him. The stormborn sorceror groans.
"That's the last time I draw enemy fire on purpose......but at least it worked." He takes a deep shuddering breath. "Hurts like hell Friar, those ladies are some damn good shots."
Valgrim gives his remaining opponents a nod and closed fist in warrior salute, as the battle comes to an end. He acknowledges the crowd a little and checks to make sure Vulcan is ok. "Padre, you should heal the sorcerer. And Bubba, it will be a true test of your silver tongue to convince the bookmakers that we just got lucky, in order to get better odds in the next battle. But I'm sure you're up to the challenge. Tell them we took advantage of the confusion of having a 4-team rumble."
Bubba does his best damage control with the oddsmakers.
Korush laughs boisterously. "Oh, I don't mind. That's part of the game. But I say, I'm really most impressed about how you managed to hide your skills. The bookies are going to want to have your hide. I look forward to see you next year - and I pray that I don't have to face you in the first round!"
As the crowd cheers Raknian pronounces you the victors of the battle. Ekaym collects your trophy sporting a wide grin.
There are plenty of channeling clerics that get the fallen combatants in shape, and then the bodies of those not so lucky are dragged off the arena.
As you return to your quarters to rest and recuperate (and level up), you are eventually joined by the other victorious teams. They are Auric's Warband, Draconic Brood, The Grave Diggers, Pitch Blade and The Snow Leopards.
Are we allowed to watch any of the other matches? Or are gladiators not permitted in the audience?
You are not supposed to leave the Coenoby during the games, so you can't watch the other matches. You can pick up some gossip if you like, though.
During the afternoon, as you are honing your skills, Ekaym pays you a visit, looking quite a bit like a cat who's found the cream. He happily presents you with your trophy and your prize money (1500 gp) as well as the returns on your bets (which should be 5000 gp, if I am correct). "Don't spend it all in one place, he grins." Ekaym is happy to shop for you if you need to supplement your equipment, as well as place some more bets, but the odds are considerably more even by now, namely 1:1.
Then he grows serious and takes you aside to your chambers (the rooms are a lot less crowded today, and even the guard patrols are laxer) and in a low voice he admits that he has a confession to make.
“While it’s nice that you turned out to be pretty good gladiators, I must admit that I had a hidden motive for entering you in the games. You see… my sister Lahaka disappeared here last year, not long after the previous Champion’s Games.
I’ve been looking for her for months now, but I’ve hit a dead end. She was a traveling entertainer, a bright joy that brought happiness to cities throughout the world. It seems that her travels eventually brought her here, to the City State, and more to the point, she caught Loris Raknian’s eye. I believe that they became lovers.
What I do know is that she vanished the day after the Champion’s Games ended. I’ve paid for divination spells to learn more, but alas have learned little. And so I decided to come to the games themselves. I hoped that by entering some gladiators in the competition, I’d have a chance to explore the area, talk with Raknian, and maybe find out what happened to Lahaka. But so far, I’ve found nothing.
Raknian’s nearly impossible to get to, and I’ve uncovered no clues in the outlying buildings. There’s two places I’ve not been able to reach -his palace and the arena understructure. This is where you come in, my friends. If you can slip away from the Coenoby between battles and search the surrounding rooms for clues as to what happened to my sister, I’ll turn over all of the winnings from the games to you. What do you say?”
"It sounds like we may have a common enemy. If you think there's evidence of what he's up to under the arena, it might explain why he hired those assassins to kill us as well," Vug points out.
"Of course we'll help you, Ekaym," Feres glances to his companions for approval as he assures their sponsor. "Please tell us what your sister looks like."
"There are much fewer people down here now, and the guards don't seem to be as diligent today as they were last night," Feres observes to his friends. "What say we do a little exploring this afternoon?"
"Sounds good, Friar. I'm down to help Ekaym. If we run into any guards, I'm sure Bubba can talk them into looking the other way."
"I can indeed, I hope. Also I can perform another divination tonight if you can provide a detailed description of her. Better yet would be a picture, former possession, or best yet, a piece of hair or something."
"I'd be happy to help you find her."
"Another idea is to scry Raknian himself. It would be a little more dangerous though; we might want to wait for another time to do that."
Ekaym looks relieved. "Thank you so much. After watching you fight today, I must say that I'm glad that you are on my side. As for my sister, I can give you a good description of her, but I have already tried scrying her and failed. I fear the worst, but I need closure. If you can just find out what happened to her, I would feel relieved."
"We're Dunael, you know, and the elven blood is strong in her. She's a tall woman with jet-black hair and sparkling blue eyes. But she was probably murdered months ago."
"If you need anything, I'd be happy to get it for you, but for now I must leave you. I shall see you tomorrow again. Get some rest, for the next fight will be tougher."
A rumor Bubba picked up from a hobgoblin half-dragon monk named Shasta who fights for the Draconic Brood sounds like a place to begin. It is said that ghouls once dwelt in the area of underground buildings to the south known as the Titan’s House. Shasta claimed that Raknian himself beat back the ghouls and plugged the entrance to their warren with a stone seal in the pool in the Titan’s House, but no gladiator has ever tried to open the plug to verify these stories.
One good thing is that nobody will care about what you do there. Many gladiators use the Titan's House for meditation, romantic trysts or more unsavory purposes but it is basically a ruin and a dead end.
The Titan's House is a huge cave that resembles the Coenoby, but is in a state of century-old abandonment. It looks like a surface structure once stood here, a cluster of stone houses that were buried under a million tons of rubble a long time ago. In the labyrinth of ceiling-high sections of ruined walls, the only remarkable feature is the idol that gives this cave its name, the ten-foot-high, alabaster statue of a powerful giant armed with a mattock. Now the silent guardian of the Titan’s House, the statue stands in an almost completely enclosed space in the northeast part of the cave. The cave floor slopes down to the south where a 10-foot-deep pool of water is located. You can just make out the plug Shasta was talking about.
"So whatd'you all think about the plug? Good place to start"
Vug examines the plug for traps.
take 10 for result of 23
"So whatd'you all think about the plug? Good place to start"
"I'm not sure..." Feres muses aloud, frowning. "You know, we pass through a whole subterranean complex when we're escorted back and forth between the Arena and our quarters. There may be rooms there that hold the information we seek. I just think it would be better to check out that area before we open the seal on a ghoul warren."
Vulcan chuckles
"Where's your sense of adventure?.... But seriously that actually does make sense."
"We should explore the complex first of course. I still want to open the plug though! To adventure!"
You wisely decide to explore the complex under the arena itself before turning to the ghouls in the forgotten caves. Retracing your steps you find yourselves in a large, irregular hall that seems to be a major junction — many stairways and passages lead in and out. There is a circular hallway that runs all around the arena, and a passage in towards the middle. Along the passage inwards, which leads towards a circular chamber, you see cell doors, behind which you hear some wild animals growling.
Will you want to explore the circular passage or go towards the centre?
Valgrim suggests examining the circular passage first, in a clockwise pattern.
Feres agrees with Valgrim's suggestion.
The circular passage is riddled with small archways, leading to various disused storage tunnels. One passage leading inwards opens into a canteen. At the other end of the room the passage goes on, but there is also a passage to the right, where some arena attendants are having a break. One of them asks what your business is down here.
Time for some inspired lying by Bubba, I guess.
Feres' claps Bubba on the shoulder just before the half-orc begins to speak, imbuing him with a bit of the Dawnflower's divine glory.
Vug does her best to just look confused (not a stretch).